Compositional analysis of black-slipped pottery from the Hulushan and Maoershan kiln sites: Insights into social complexity in northern Fujian

Abstract

When discussing the development of complex societies in China, the northern Fujian region consistently emerges as an area of significance that is often overlooked. Discoveries of kiln clusters discovered at both the Hulushan and Maoershan sites, dating to 4000–3500 BP and noted for their production of black-slipped pottery, combined with the widespread distribution of such pottery across northern Fujian, suggest the potential emergence of specialized production and social complexity in the region. However, there has been rarely systematic discussion on this topic. This paper presents the first compositional analysis of black-slipped pottery from Hulushan and Maoershan using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF). Through multivariate statistical analysis of chemical compositional data, this study reveals significant compositional uniformity in the ceramics from both kiln sites, despite being located about 150 km apart, indicating that the potters from Hulushan and Maoershan were likely part of a single, unified community of practice, sharing information and technology on how to make pottery. Our analysis further reveals that the potters at each site deliberately produced two distinct qualities of products, with evidence suggesting that this classification may have reflected social differentiation. Our research highlights the characteristics of specialized production of black-slipped pottery, revealing a unique and often overlooked aspect of the development of social complexity in northern Fujian. Additionally, this research lays the foundation for further investigation into the production and distribution patterns of black-slipped pottery in the surrounding regions in Fujian, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi provinces.